Lack of support fo high school lacrosse

I am amazed at the lack of support by school administrators, athletic directors and football programs. I am a parent of a student athlete for Central Hardin lacrosse. The team practices anywhere and everywhere they can based on the weather and availability, They are not allowed to practice or play at the high school due to lack of concern or care for a team that bears the high school name by the football coach and athletic director. As a result the team must pay $350 for home games at the city run sports park, we only have a handful of home games and stay on the road for games in order to save money. We played at South Warren on Tuesday evening and were told by booster supporters, that the football team charges them $500 for home games at the school. Despicable, big bully tactics from an established sport that wants nothing less than to limit, in any way, the growth of this sport. Enough is enough, accommodating student athletes playing another off season sport can only enhance the other programs within the school with athletes working aerobic conditioning and hand eye coordination that can only enhance their skill set. Let’s get this sport sanctioned by the KHSAA in order to stop these bullying tactics and force administrators to comply with supporting this sport

This is a little more complicated from a "school support" standpoint. The KHSAA actually reviewed sanctioning just a couple of months ago in January, and from all appearances going into their session, it was basically assumed that this would be the newest sanctioned sport in the KHSAA.

However, there was apparently some push-back from quite a few of the programs who've been competing in club lacrosse for the last decade or more. I know from talking to at least a few folks in different programs, the sentiment was that the "established" programs didn't want to have the KHSAA come in and take over everything they have put together in their club league and start making up new rules and policies, and effectively "mess up a good thing".

The KHSAA is in a tough spot in the state with so many schools from so many different economic backgrounds, plus the extreme differences in some of the competing school sizes, public schools, independent public schools, private schools....the KHSAA fields SO many complaints about so many different things, and it seems like whenever they try to make a change to improve things one way or the other, it only ultimately ends up mucking things up even moreso.

I'm not sure how having to pay to use the facilities is bullying tactics, especially if everyone has to pay for them.

Also, what does the football program gain from limiting the growth of lacrosse?

I am amazed at the lack of support by school administrators, athletic directors and football programs. I am a parent of a student athlete for Central Hardin lacrosse. The team practices anywhere and everywhere they can based on the weather and availability, They are not allowed to practice or play at the high school due to lack of concern or care for a team that bears the high school name by the football coach and athletic director. As a result the team must pay $350 for home games at the city run sports park, we only have a handful of home games and stay on the road for games in order to save money. We played at South Warren on Tuesday evening and were told by booster supporters, that the football team charges them $500 for home games at the school. Despicable, big bully tactics from an established sport that wants nothing less than to limit, in any way, the growth of this sport. Enough is enough, accommodating student athletes playing another off season sport can only enhance the other programs within the school with athletes working aerobic conditioning and hand eye coordination that can only enhance their skill set. Let’s get this sport sanctioned by the KHSAA in order to stop these bullying tactics and force administrators to comply with supporting this sport

Is it a school-sanctioned club, as in, are they officially affiliated with the high school? I'm assuming so, based on the fact that you're saying the lacrosse team has the school name, but then again, does it necessarily have to be affiliated to use the school name? Like is "Henry County" or "Henry County High School" trademarked by the high school, or can another non-affiliated group use that name openly?

Does the school charge it's own clubs for use of their facilities? Does the school charge non-affiliated groups for use of the facilities? Usually the money from the gate and concessions are going back to the school for its events, and could be seen as payment of some sort, even for the school's own teams. Is the lacrosse team offering the school money from the gate and concessions on top of the rental fee?

^ This is the key first question. Is lacrosse a school sanctioned/affiliated team or a privately run club team? If it is private, then they get treated like any other private club sport and pay fees to use facilities.

I'm not sure how having to pay to use the facilities is bullying tactics, especially if everyone has to pay for them.

 

Also, what does the football program gain from limiting the growth of lacrosse?

It's the same tactic that some basketball coaches use against playing football...you might get hurt, you can't participate in our offseason workouts, everybody else is only focusing on one sport, etc.

It is really sad that we have coaches that look at things like this, but we all know of those that do.

It's the same tactic that some basketball coaches use against playing football...you might get hurt, you can't participate in our offseason workouts, everybody else is only focusing on one sport, etc.

 

It is really sad that we have coaches that look at things like this, but we all know of those that do.

The OP made it seem as if the lacrosse program was being picked on by football.

@TheDeuce I guess because the AD is apparently the football coach. If he doesn't support another sport as AD, it could appear that he's trying to protect his self-interest as football coach. Maybe?

Stop, when you see Elizabethtown HS fully support their program by letting them use the football field for practices and games and when you play;

Lafayette

Frederick Douglass

South Warren

Bowling Green

Bryan Station

All away games that are played at their high schools respective fields but yet we are not afforded the same opportunity there is a problem!!!!!

Stop, when you see Elizabethtown HS fully support their program by letting them use the football field for practices and games and when you play;

Lafayette

Frederick Douglass

South Warren

Bowling Green

Bryan Station

All away games that are played at their high schools respective fields but yet we are not afforded the same opportunity there is a problem!!!!!

Are these all school teams? Are some of them club teams?

I'm not sure how having to pay to use the facilities is bullying tactics, especially if everyone has to pay for them.

 

Also, what does the football program gain from limiting the growth of lacrosse?

Absolutely nothing.

I hail from a state where high school lacrosse is very popular. Our high school lacrosse coach (back when I went to school a few eons ago) is in the LAX hall of fame.

And he loved taking linebackers, defensive backs and running backs and putting sticks in their hands in the spring.

The kids are from the respective schools, it is not a sanctioned sport by the KHSAA and is a club sport.

The kids are from the respective schools, it is not a sanctioned sport by the KHSAA and is a club sport.

Then the schools owe them nothing. OK to charge them rent. They don't even need to let them use the fields. No obligations at all IMO. Anything a club team gets from a school is gravy and something to be very thankful for.

It doesn't matter if you believe what I am saying or not just understand that parents and players are extremely frustrated statewide with the lack of cooperation from high schools around the state. This is coming from actual high school participants in this club sport in the state of Kentucky and parents not theorists.

It doesn't matter if you believe what I am saying or not just understand that parents and players are extremely frustrated statewide with the lack of cooperation from high schools around the state. This is coming from actual high school participants in this club sport in the state of Kentucky and parents not theorists.

In N. Ky., if I am not mistaken, a lacrosse club team rented facilities from Beechwood for quite a few years. I never heard any complaints. Personally, if my school let a club team use facilities funded by my tax dollars at no cost, I would be ticked off. If parents are upset, time for a self check. Until it is a high school sanctioned and supported team, it is no different than the dads in the neighborhood wanting to use the high school gym for an adult league and being mad because they have to pay rent.